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Bed. It was the only thing he could think of. Three months under cover with the lowlife arms dealer Judd Mason who seemed to thrive on three hours sleep a night had left Ezra beyond tired. In addition to the illegal guns, the reprobate had also dabbled in the illegal sale of alcohol and tobacco making sure he touched on the A, T, and F. It was probably a good thing, Ezra mused, that they hadn’t added the E for explosives to the agency’s alphabet soup or Mason would have added that to his repertoire as well.
For three months Ezra had ingratiated himself with Mason until he’d managed to earn the man’s trust. Last night, Mason had finally left him alone in the room with the computer he kept his records on long enough for Ezra to copy over the incriminating evidence. He’d quickly made his excuses once Mason returned and immediately headed to the ATF offices. Once he turned in the evidence and finished his report, Chris had sent him home to get some rest.
It was now nearing 4:00 am and all he was looking forward to was getting into his bed. As if his fatigue weren’t enough, he was starting to feel decidedly queasy and unwell. He was sure it was the vile fast food Mason insisted they eat for dinner. Ezra had learned early in the assignment that if it didn’t have a dollar menu or the like, Mason didn’t consider it worth eating.
Finally, his townhouse was in sight. It wouldn’t be much longer now. He pulled into the driveway and wearily climbed out of the Jag. He started to swing the door closed when he remembered his briefcase and aborted the action. He scowled as the action seem to pull across his midsection. He rubbed his hand over the painful area then reached in for the briefcase. The sooner he was in the townhouse, the sooner he’d be in bed.
Approaching the door, he pulled his keys from his pocket and fished for the correct one. The first attempt at unlocking the door had the keys falling to the ground. He stared down at them for a few seconds wondering if it were possible for them to levitate up to his hand before he finally bent down to retrieve them. On the second try, he got the door opened.
He didn’t bother turning on a light when he walked in. Hi just dropped his briefcase, made sure the door was closed and locked, then made his way to his bedroom.
It didn’t take long for him to take off his suit and pull on a pair of navy and green plaid flannel pajama bottoms and an over-sized blue t-shirt with an obnoxiously bright yellow smiley face on it. The shirt had been a gag gift from Buck, betting that Ezra would never wear it. Little did he know.
Ezra spent about ten seconds debating if he had the wherewithal to hang his clothes up before deciding that wasn’t going to happen. He balled his shirt up and tossed it in the hamper and left his trousers and suit coat draped over the chair in the bedroom. Finally, he answered the siren call of his bed.
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There was nothing more unseemly, Maude thought, than to stand outside your only child’s front door ringing the bell and knocking without the door being opened. Where else could Ezra be besides home? His car was in the driveway – and, really, what was the use of having a garage if you didn’t put your vehicle in the garage? It was 8:30 in the morning on Saturday. If she knew her son as well as she thought she did – and she had little doubt that she did – he was, most likely, still in bed. Still, that didn’t explain why he wasn’t opening the door. She’d been knocking and ringing for five minutes. The neighbors were going to start getting suspicious.
Just as she was giving serious consideration to picking the lock and letting herself in, the door was finally opened. Ezra stood in the doorway looking dumfounded at her presence. The way he was blinking and squinting made her think it had been longer than a day since he’d last made the acquaintance of the sun.
“M…mother?” he stuttered out obviously shocked to see her.
Maude looked Ezra up and down taking in the flannel pajama pants and smiley face t-shirt visible under his untied blue, terrycloth robe. “Ezra, darlin’ what have I told you about appearances,” she asked with just a hint of irritation in her voice. Hopefully, the irritation would cover up the concern she felt seeing her usually tidy son so disheveled and drawn looking.
“I was sleeping,” he answered lamely while trying to brush the wrinkles out of the shirt.
“I would hope you were, dressed like that.” Maude arched an eyebrow at him looking askance. “Aren’t you going to ask me in.”
Ezra backed out of the doorway, opening the door wider for his mother to enter. As she walked by him, she pecked him on the cheek in greeting but quickly pulled back when she felt how warm him was. “Are you feeling ok,” she asked as she again tried to stifle her concern.
“I’m fine, Mother…just came off a case and I’m a bit tired.”
As he started to walk past her to lead her to the living room, she took hold of his arm stopping him and brushed her hand over his forehead. “More like a bit feverish, if you ask me.”
Ezra gently brushed her hand from his forehead and gave her a slight smile. “It’s nothing. I just got out of bed.”
Maude wasn’t convinced but decided to let it go for now. She followed Ezra into the living room and settled on the couch.
“What are you doing in town, Mother?” Ezra asked as he hovered behind the couch. “I wasn’t expecting you.” Truthfully, he didn’t know if he should have been expecting her or not. He hadn’t time to check his voicemail or email.
“It’s just a quick visit, darlin’. Robert asked me to look after some business dealing of his and since I was here, I thought I’d drop by and see how my baby boy was doing.”
Hoping his mother wouldn’t catch the motion, Ezra rubbed his right side where an irritating pain had taken up residence. “Robert?” he questioned and when Maude started to answer, waved her silence. “Let me guess…prospective husband number six.” He shook his head in dismay. “Do you want coffee or anything else?” he asked trying to play the part of the good host.
“No need to trouble yourself. I can only stay for a little while or Robert will be wondering where I’ve gotten off to.”
Ezra let out a sigh and leaned on the back of the couch. “I take it he doesn’t know about me.”
“It just hasn’t come up,” Maude replied with a shrug.
“No, of course not,” Ezra muttered just loud enough for his mother to hear. “Why ever would you want to mention to a prospective spouse that you have a child. Better to spring it on him on the wedding day…if you ever planned on telling him.” He realized that the growing pain and general unwellness he was feeling was making it harder to hold back. He waved a hand through the air as if to wave off his feelings. “Forget it. I’ll get you some coffee.”
He only made it two steps toward the kitchen before the queasiness he’d been feeling turned into full-blown nausea and he hoped he could make it to the bathroom before he completely embarrassed himself in front of his mother. He was only vaguely aware of her calling his name as he hurried down the hall. He made it just in time before he lost the battle and gave into the nausea.
Once he’d emptied stomach, he slouched against the wall feeling no better than he had before vomiting. If anything, the pain seemed worse. He wasn’t aware that Maude had followed him and flinched when he felt her hand on his forehead.
“This isn’t tired, Ezra,” Maude pointed out.
Again, Ezra started to wave off her worries but changed his mind when he saw the determined look in her eyes. “It’s probably just food poisoning or something. You can’t imagine what I’ve been forced to eat the last few months.” He pushed himself up and staggered over to the sink to rinse out his mouth. “I just need to get some rest and it’ll pass. I’m sorry if I’m ruining you visit. You should probably just go meet Robert and I’ll just go back to bed.”
Maude studied her son while he rinsed out his mouth and splashed water over his face. He’d been pale when she’d arrived but now, he looked positively ghostly and it worried her to leave him in this condition. “I have a bit of time before Robert will be expecting me.” She grasped his arm and tugged gently. “Let’s get you settled back in bed before I leave.”
Taught since childhood to not let his weaknesses show in front of anyone, Ezra pulled himself up straight and pasted a smile on his face. “Nonsense, Mother. I’ll be fine. You should leave just in case this is catching. I wouldn’t want you to get sick. I’ll be fine.”
“As soon as you’re back in bed, I’ll leave,” Maude said. “What kind of mother would I be if I left you in this condition?”
Ezra bit back the first response that came to him. He’d once told her that her child rearing skills were no better than a cat with a litter of kittens. She’d never shown any interest when he was ill before. Why was she starting now…and what did she want? “Really, Mother, I’ll be fine,” he assured as he turned toward her. He couldn’t hold back a gasp as the pain he’d been feeling momentarily ramped up.
“I’m making sure you’re settled before I go anywhere,” Maude said. Truthfully, she was unsure where her concern was coming from. For most of Ezra’s childhood, she’d made herself scarce whenever he was ill or injured, leaving him with an aunt or an uncle instead. She chalked it up to no convenient aunt or uncle being around right now. She grasped his arm again and pulled in the direction of his bedroom. Wearily, he let her.
He sank down on the side of the bed, leaning forward slightly and wrapping his left arm around his mid-section. “There you go, Mother. I’m in bed. You’ve done your good deed and are free to leave.”
“You can rest much better if you actually lie down,” she pointed out.
Ezra looked askance but did lie down, curling into a ball and keeping his arm around his midsection. He was completely surprised when Maude pulled the covers up over him and smoothed them in place.
“There. Now you get some sleep and I’ll let myself out.” As she turned to leave the room, she saw his suit still draped over the bedroom chair and tsked. “I thought I taught you better than to leave your clothes on the furniture. I keep telling you, appearances are everything and wrinkles don’t help the appearance.” She picked up the suit and looked for a hanger in the closet for it. By the time she’d hung it up, she could hear the deep, even breathing coming from the bed.
“You really are tired, darlin’,” she whispered as she again brushed her hand over her son’s forehead checking for fever. She shook her head slightly when she felt the persistent warmth. “I think I’ll help myself to that cup of coffee before letting myself out.” She could call Robert and tell him that she’d be delayed meeting him.
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One cup of coffee became two and then three. Maude kept going back to the bedroom to check on Ezra and, although he was still sleeping, it was a restless sleep. He kept one arm wrapped around his midsection and occasional pained moans would escape from him as the pain he was feeling seemed to escalate. After two hours of this, Maude had had enough.
She lightly shook his shoulder calling his name. His sleep was so light he was immediately awake. “Mother,” he gasped. “You’re still here?”
Maude nodded slightly. “And you’re getting sicker.”
At first, Ezra was going to contradict her but the pain in his side overwhelmed him. “Hurts,” he gasped as he squeezed his eyes shut. A few tears leaked from the corners of his eyes and Maude wiped them away. She was frightened by his admission - something she knew he never would have done if he weren’t so sick.
“Shhh. Rest,” she soothed. “I’m here. I’ll take care of everything.” Once his eyes fluttered closed again and he seemed to be sleeping again, she looked around trying to figure out just what it is she could do to take care of everything. Dealing with illness wasn’t one of her strengths.
Spying his cellphone on the bedside table, she picked it up and went back to the living room. She might not know what to do but she did remember Ezra telling her that one of his co-workers, Nathan, had some medical knowledge and guessed that his phone number would be in the contact list on the phone.
Toggling the phone on, she was met with the security screen asking for either biometric data or a security code to unlock the phone. It would be easy enough to take the phone back into the bedroom and use Ezra’s fingerprint to unlock it but that would also, most likely, wake him up. She knew he wouldn’t be at all pleased if he knew she were calling one of his coworkers. Instead, she entered 0729 hoping it would be the right one and hoping that it wouldn’t be that easy for her to unlock the phone. “You’re getting too predictable, darlin’,” she whispered when the phone unlocked on the first try.
Scrolling through the contacts list, she located the one for Nathan Jackson and dialed it. It was answered on the second ring.
“What part of day off and rest don’t you understand, Ezra?” Nathan greeted.
“Mr. Jackson,” Maude interrupted. “This isn’t Ezra. It’s his mother.”
“Oh,” Nathan said confused. “How can I help you, ma’am?”
Maude cut right to the chase without preamble. “Ezra’s sick but I don’t want to take him to the hospital unless it’s warranted. Ezra’s said you know something of medicine so I was hoping you could give me an opinion.” She quickly listed the symptoms she observed in the hours she’d been there. “Do you think it could be something serious,” she asked.
“Ma’am, I want you to hang up with me and call an ambulance,” Nathan quickly responded back. “It sounds like he might have appendicitis. I’ll let the others know and meet you at the hospital.”
“Thank you,” Maude mumbled out. She’d been hoping that Nathan would tell her that she was over reacting.
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The next time Ezra woke it was to the presence of strange people in his room jostling him and Maude’s voice reassuring him. As much pain as he was now experiencing, he couldn’t have cared less who was in the room as long the pain stopped.
He gasped slightly when he felt a pinch in the back of his hand then a strange voice saying something about an IV. He tried to concentrate and follow what was being said but it was beyond him now. When he felt himself being lifted and moved to another surface, he let out strangled shout followed by a moan as the pain somehow managed to grow worse.
Through it all, he heard his mother’s voice alternating between reassuring him and asking questions of the strangers. He wanted to ask her why she was still there. Maude Standish did not do illness and tended to make herself as scarce as possible when it occurred. Maude Standish also tended not to be the overly solicitous, comforting mother...especially when there were strangers around. And yet, she was still there. Why?
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Once they arrived at the hospital, Maude wasn’t allowed to stay with Ezra as he was whisked away to a trauma bay. She’d been shown the waiting room and had a clipboard with forms that need to be filled out placed in her hands. She looked at the forms and started to fill in what she could. As she did, she realized how little about her son she knew.
She’d barely been sitting for ten minutes when she heard her name called and looked up to see one of Ezra’s co-workers striding into the waiting room. “Josiah,” she called getting up and moving to meet him half-way.
“Nathan called and let us all know what was happening. I hurried over. I expect the others will be along soon.” He led her back to her seat then sat beside her. “Is there any word yet.”
“No, nothing,” Maude answered. She gestured to the clipboard of forms. “I’ve been trying to fill these out but there’s so much.”
Josiah gently took the clipboard from her and put it on the chair on the other side of him. “Nathan will be along soon. I think he’s got these memorized.”
“That’s good,” Maude said as she glanced over to the door they’d taken her son through.
“You doing all right? Is there anything I can get you?” Josiah asked.
Maude patted the hand he rested on her arm. “I’m just fine but thank you.”
The door to the outside opened again and Nathan came into the ER waiting room. He’d barely had time to ask if there was any news before the door opened again and the rest of Ezra’s coworkers walked in. No, Maude corrected herself. Not his coworkers…his team as he often referred to them when talking with her. Right now, she was grateful that these men were so willing to rally around her son. She’d often lamented about her son’s chosen profession – especially after all he’d gone through when with the FBI in Atlanta – but she couldn’t fault these men. Even if she had never told Ezra, it did her heart good to know that he could trust these men to look out for him.
It was just a couple of minutes later that someone came through the doors leading to the treatment rooms and called out her name. She rose quickly and walked over to him.
“Mrs. Standish? I’m Dr. Wilson. I’ve been treating your son.”
Before Maude could ask a question, she heard another voice ask, “How is he?” It was only then that she realized Ezra’s team had moved up behind her.
“This is Chris Larabee. He works with my son,” Maude explained when the doctor seemed hesitant to answer the question. “How’s Ezra?”
“We’ve run some tests and he has acute appendicitis. He’s being prepped for surgery now.”
At the word surgery, Maude caught her breath. “Surgery? Can I see him?”
“I’m afraid not, Ma’am. There’s a chance his appendix may have ruptured. We need to get him in the OR as soon as possible. I just wanted to give you an update and give you this.” He handed her a medal on a chain as well as the square cut ruby ring Ezra wore when not undercover. “They were the only personal items he had on him.”
Maude nodded silently and took the two pieces of jewelry and tucked them into a pocket. She felt someone squeeze her shoulder from behind. “How long until I can see him,” she asked in as strong a voice as she could manage.
“It’ll be a couple of hours at least. There’s a surgical waiting room on the fourth floor if you’d like to wait there.”
“Yes, thank you,” Maude said softly. She watched the doctor disappear back through the doors.
“He’s going to be fine, ma’am” JD reassured her. “He’s probably making bets with the doctor about how long it’s going to take.”
“I’m sure,” Maude agreed almost absent mindedly then put a smile on her face to hide the worry she felt. “I believe he said the waiting room is on the fourth floor.”
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The surgical waiting room was painted a pale yellow with cheerful paintings hanging on the walls. Maude supposed it was to help those waiting feel more at ease while waiting to hear about a loved one. She’d be willing to beg to differ.
They’d been sitting in the room quietly talking for fifteen minutes when she put her cup of coffee on the table where she’d also put the medal and ring the doctor had given her. “I can’t do this,” she stated. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“No right way or wrong way,” Chris offered.
“No. You don’t understand Mr. Larrabee. The last time I was there when Ezra was ill was when he was four years old and he had croup. It was his daddy who took care of everything.”
“His daddy?” JD questioned surprised.
“Yes, his daddy,” Maude responded. “You didn’t think he was hatched, did you?” she asked tartly.
“No, Ma’am,” Vin quickly answer. “It’s just that Ezra’s never mentioned his father. I guess we all thought he never knew him.”
“Ezra knew his father quite well. It’s safe to say he worshiped the ground Matthew walked on. And Ezra was the apple of Matthew’s eye.” Maude let out a short, self-conscious chuckle. “There were times I felt like I was a third wheel. They were as thick as thieves and like two peas in a pod.”
All conversation in the room stopped and Maude had the undivided attention of the six men. As little as Ezra talked about his childhood, they were eager for any tidbits Maude might be willing to give.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to him?” Josiah asked. “Ezra’s father, I mean.”
Sadness flitted across Maude’s face for the briefest moment before she put on a bland expression. “He died when Ezra was six.”
There was silence for a few moments as Maude’s words sank in before Buck spoke. “Matthew, huh? I always imagined Ezra’s father was Peter or Paul or something like that.” Seeing the questioning looks the others were giving him, he explained himself. “You know…Ezra P. Standish. I just always thought the P was for his father’s name.”
Maude let out a genuine laugh at Buck’s explanation. “Oh, lordy no. It couldn’t be further from that.” She looked at the six men. “I guess he’s been tight-lipped about that and he’ll probably never forgive me if I tell you but…it’s Phillip.”
“Can’t see what’s wrong with Phillip that he’d hide it,” Nathan commented.
“It has nothing to do with the name but everything to do with Phillip LeBeau. My father,” she clarified to the questioning looks. “Papa had high hopes for me and marrying Matthew Standish did not fit into those plans. Not only was Matthew a near penniless accountant saddled with more student loans than you could shake a stick at, but he had the audacity to not have been born in Charleston. Papa never did hide his displeasure.”
“So, you’re from Charleston,” Chris said. “I always assumed you and Ezra were from Georgia.”
“We have some family in Savannah and Atlanta and Ezra spent some of his childhood there, but we were both born in Charleston.”
“So, I take it Ezra and his grandfather didn’t see eye to eye,” Buck prompted fascinated by this look into Ezra’s family. In the past, Maude had told them stories about Ezra’s childhood but there had always been that little question of how much of the stories were true and how much embellishment. This time, there was a ring of truth.
“As I said, Ezra worshiped the ground his father walked on and Papa didn’t shy away from speaking his mind about Matthew. It did not endear Phillip LeBeau to Ezra. To say my son is stubborn and hard-headed may be understating things.”
“You can say that again,” Chris muttered prompting the other five men to laugh.
“So, where’d Ezra come from,” JD asked once the laughter had died down.
“Now, JD,” Buck said as he slung a companionable arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “I thought by your age you’d know all about where babies come from. Do I have to explain it to you?”
JD shrugged out from under Buck’s arm. “Ha, ha funny. I meant the name. If Phillip is his grandfather, I just wondered what Ezra was for. It is kind of unique.”
“Ezra was Matthew’s father’s name. Matthew told me there were a lot of Ezra’s in the Standish family tree. Seems it’s a family name. I believe he said there was an Ezra Standish who was a lawman of sorts in the old west.” She shrugged slightly. “Maybe that’s where Ezra got the drive to be a law enforcement officer. Lord knows it didn’t come from the LeBeau side of the family and I’ve never encouraged him.”
Silence again descended on the room as none of the men knew how to respond.
Maude picked up the now-cold cup of coffee and turned it in her hands and tried not to look up at the clock to see how much time had gone by. Abruptly, she put down the coffee and reached for her purse and pulled her wallet out. Opening it, she pulled a somewhat tattered photo out of it. “If Ezra ever knew I had this, much less showed it to you gentlemen, he’d probably die of embarrassment…or make me rue the day he was born.”
“Your secret’s safe with us, Ma’am,” Buck said. He leaned forward eager to see what the photo was if it was something that would embarrass Ezra.
Maude handed the photo to Chris and the others crowded around to see the picture of a young family. The woman was obviously Maude but younger. In her lap sat a boy of no more than two. There was no mistaking the dimpled cheeks and the six knew they were looking at a picture of Ezra as a child. The man in the photo caught them by surprise. If they hadn’t already identified Maude and the child Ezra, they all would have sworn the man in the photo was Ezra.
“Wow. Ezra looks just like his father.” JD said what the others had been thinking. “If I didn’t know better…”
Maude accepted the photo when Chris held it back out to her. “Like I said, they were like two peas in a pod. Right from the day he was born Ezra has looked just like his father. You’d think after I carried him for nine months there might have been something of the LeBeau’s about him but no. Right from those green eyes to the dimples, he’s all Standish.”
Josiah leaned over Maude’s shoulder looking at the photo again. “I don’t know. I think he’s got your nose.”
Again, Maude let out a laugh. “That’s the first thing Matthew said to me after he saw him for the first time. ‘Maudie, he’s got your nose.’ Apparently, that was supposed to make me feel better about my son looking nothing like me.” She looked at the photo she held for a moment. “Maybe he does have my nose after all,” she mused. She looked up at the six. “He most definitely inherited the LeBeau talents.” No one questioned what those talents were. They all knew perfectly well what Maude was talking about.
Again, silence descended on the room, each caught up in his or her own thoughts. Maude could swear she heard each tick of the clock, but it seemed as if time had stopped moving. Still no word came that the surgery had been completed. As much as she tried to project an outward calm, inside she was a jumble of nerves. The last time she could remember feeling this much worry and concern for anyone was when she’d sat, again in a hospital waiting room, to find out if her husband would survive or if she’d be left a young widow with a small child.
The silence in the room was broken by the shrill sound of a cellphone ringing. Maude realized it was hers and hastened to grab it from her purse and answer it. “Oh lord,” she said softly when she saw from the caller ID that it was Robert calling. “Hello, darlin’,” she answered as cheerfully as she could. “I imagine you’re wondering where I’ve gone off to.”
Although no one looked in her direction, six sets of ears were poised to listen in on the phone call fully expecting it would end with Maude rushing out.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t call. I just got caught up in something and it completely slipped my mind.”
Chris’ eyebrows rose at the ‘something’ and he caught Josiah slowly shaking his head.
“Of course it’s something important, Robert. I simply won’t be able to meet you for lunch.” There was silence from Maude as she listened to Robert on the other end of the call. His tinny sounding voice could barely be heard by the others. As she continued to listen, her blue eyes grew stormy until she finally interrupted. “As I said, Robert, it’s important.” She pulled in a deep breath. “My son has been rushed to the hospital and is in surgery now. I can’t leave until I know he’s going to be all right.”
Although the words from Robert were indistinguishable to the six men, they were able to hear his voice grow in volume. “Think she just sprung a surprise,” Vin whispered.
“Yes, I have a grown son,” Maude said into phone. “No, I wasn’t keeping him a secr...” She was cut off and the raised voice was heard again. “Well, if that’s the way you feel about it,” she broke in to say then promptly disconnected the call. “Nothing to worry about, gentlemen,” she said to the six with an insincere smile. “Just a prospective gentleman caller who seemed to think he was more important than my baby boy.” She didn’t miss the surprised looks that passed between the men. She looked at her watch and then at the clock on the wall. “How much longer can this be.”
“It all depends,” Nathan volunteered. “If the appendix hasn’t ruptured and they’re able to do the surgery laparoscopically, it shouldn’t be too much longer.”
“And if it has ruptured,” Maude prompted.
Josiah reached over to pat Maude on the shoulder. “Let’s not think of the worst right now.”
Maude shrugged away Josiah’s hand. “I’m not thinking of the worst. I’d just like to have all the information available. Now…how long?”
“If it has ruptured, it’ll all depend on how much they have to clean out the abdominal cavity. They’ll need to make sure none of the infection is left or it could lead to sepsis.”
“Well, that’s simply not going to happen,” Maude said with false cheer.
The six men saw through her false front she was trying to project. From what they’d observed of Ezra’s and Maude’s relationship, none of them would have guessed they’d one day be sitting in a hospital waiting room with her.
“I know you said Ezra’s father passed, “Josiah said as he sought something to take Maude’s mind off Ezra and the surgery. “Do you mind if I asked how?”
“Hit and run,” Maude said. “We’d just moved to New York for a job Matthew had been offered. It was his first day on the job and he was on his way home.” She pulled in a deep breath. Despite the number of years that had passed, it was still painful to talk of his death. “He was hit by a car. The driver never stopped.” She looked around the room as she continued, “I sat in a room much like this one while he was in surgery waiting to hear if he’d make it. Ezra just kept asking when he was going to get to see Daddy. As I said, we’d just moved to New York and we didn’t really know anyone, so I had to bring him with me.” She got up from her seat and walked over to the window, looking out as she continued. “I knew as soon as that doctor came in the room. I just knew. And Ezra…he just kept chattering and I…I guess I snapped. I yelled at him to be quiet.” She turned back to look at the men. “Can you believe that was the first time I’d ever raised my voice to him?”
“It’s understandable,” Josiah sympathized. You were under a great deal of stress.
“That child was lost without his daddy,” Maude continued as if Josiah hadn’t spoken. “I was lost without him and every time I looked at Ezra, all I saw was Matthew. He looks so much like him,” she said forlornly. She pulled in deep breath as if to pull herself together then continued her tale. “I was hurting and didn’t know what to do for Ezra. It took everything I had just to keep our heads above water. We’d used nearly all our savings moving to New York and putting a down payment on a house. I didn’t have a job and the LeBeau family skills aren’t exactly marketable, if you know what I mean,” she said with a quick smile.
“What did you do,” Chris asked. Like the others, he’d become enthralled with Maude’s story and was eager to learn more of Ezra’s past.
Maude walked back to the seating area and settled herself gracefully in the chair she had occupied. “I did the only thing I could. I took up the family trade…and I was quite good at it,” she said with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. “I did my best to teach Ezra as well. He’s got more God-given natural talent than anyone I’ve ever seen…not that he chooses to use it.”
“Ezra’s mentioned that he stayed with a number of relatives when he was growing up,” Josiah prompted wondering how that fit into the tale Maude was telling them.
“I did the best I could,” she said defensively. “The…line of work…I chose isn’t easy. Especially with a small child.” She looked away suddenly embarrassed. “And, if I’m honest, looking at Ezra was like looking like a miniature version of Matthew. That was like a knife to the heart.” Again, she grew defensive, as she looked at each of the men. “I did the best I could for him. I made sure he was well looked after and had the best schooling. I made sure no harm came to him…and I taught him a trade.”
“Ma’am,” Buck began looking a bit uncomfortable as he searched for the best words. “No one’s doubting that you did the best you could but sometimes…well…sometimes a little one needs his mama more than he needs schools.”
“Now, Maude, what Buck’s trying to say,” Josiah broke in to explain as he saw Maude again getting defensive, “Is that sometimes a child needs his mother’s love more than he needs an education or other stuff.”
“I love my son,” Maude hissed. “I have always loved my son. I may not have been the best mother, but I have always loved him, and I will always love him and I don’t need the six of you passing judgment on how I raised him. I did the best I could, and Ezra knows that.”
Josiah took a deep breath and decided it was time to take the bull by the horns. “Does Ezra really know that? Sometimes, when you don’t hear the words, you begin to doubt it.”
Any answer Maude may have given was interrupted when Dr. Wilson came into the waiting room and called her name. Immediately everyone was on their feet asking him how Ezra was. He finally held up a hand to stop the flood of questions.
“He came through the surgery fine. His appendix did rupture before we were able to take it out. That’s why the surgery was a little longer. We had to do an open procedure instead of removing the appendix laparoscopically. We’ve cleaned out the infection and he’s being treated with antibiotics. He’s going to have to stay here a little longer than if it hadn’t ruptured but I see no reason why he won’t make a full recovery.”
The doctor’s announcement was met with an assortment of expressions of relief from all but Maude. At the news that her son should recover fully, Maude abruptly sat again and pulled in a shuddering breath.
“Maude,” Josiah asked when he saw her. He knelt in front of her. “He’s going to be just fine,” he reassured. The others moved away to give Maude some privacy.
Maude nodded but didn’t say anything right away. Once she’d composed herself somewhat, she quietly said, “I thought I was going to lose him like I lost his father.” She looked over to where the doctor still stood. “I’d like to my son,” she said in a stronger voice.
“He’s still in recovery,” Dr. Wilson told her. “Once he’s settled in his room, you’ll be able to see him.”
“When will that be?” Maude questioned as she rose and approached the doctor.
“It shouldn’t be much longer,” the doctor reassured. “Someone will come to get you when he can have visitors.”
Once the doctor left, everyone settled in to wait again. No one made mention of what had been said just before the doctor’s appearance.
As they waited, JD leaned over and picked up the medal and ring from the table where Maude had put them. “You know, I’ve seen Ezra wear both of these and I’ve always wondered what they signified, if anything?”
Maude took pieces of jewelry from JD when he held them out to her. Rubbing her thumb over the medal she smiled wistfully. “This was Matthew’s. I gave it to him the day we were married.” She turned the medal so that the others could see it. “It’s St. Matthew...the patron saint of accountants. I thought it was quite fitting. And this,” she said holding up the ring, “was also Matthew’s. It was a gift from his mother. His birthstone was ruby. I gave them both to Ezra when he turned 18. I knew he wore the ring, but I didn’t realize he still had the medal much less wore it.” She put the ring on the chain with the medal then slipped it over her head. She tucked the medal and ring under her blouse for safe keeping. “I guess it’s his way of keeping his daddy close.” She took a deep breath and patted where the medal and ring lay against her chest then turned her most charming smile on the six. “Now, did I ever tell you gentlemen about the time Ezra was eight and he...”
And his mother, Josiah thought but didn’t voice as Maude launched into one of her stories about Ezra’s childhood that they all knew was, no doubt, a gross exaggeration if not an outright fabrication.
It was sometime later that a nurse appeared and told Maude she could take her up to Ezra’s room. She also informed the others that Maude would be the only one allowed in to see Ezra until the next day. Since they wouldn’t be able to see Ezra; Chris, Vin, Buck, JD, and Nathan decided it was a good time to head out. Josiah offered to wait until Maude was done with her visit to drive her to either her hotel or Ezra’s townhouse.
“He’s still groggy and drifting in and out,” the nurse warned Maude as they approached Ezra’s room. “That’s normal, though.”
As they entered the room and Maude got her first look at Ezra, her hand flew up to her mouth and she pulled in a sharp breath. He looked so frail and helpless lying in the hospital bed and she was again reminded of Matthew.
“He’s doing quite well,” the nurse reassured her as she checked the IV feeding into Ezra’s arm. “I’ll be back in a little while to hang a new back of antibiotics but if he needs anything before then, just ring the buzzer.”
“Thank you,” Maude said as she pulled the only chair in the room up to the bedside and sat. She barely took note of the nurse leaving. She only had eyes for her son. After fumbling a bit, she found the catch and put the bedside rail down so she could reach him better and picked up his hand and gave a little squeeze. “Ezra,” she called softly when she felt an answering squeeze.
She watched as Ezra’s eyes fluttered and then opened halfway fixing on her. “Mother,” he breathed out once his eyes had focused.
Maude moved from the chair to the edge of the bed without letting her son’s hand go. “I’m right here, darlin’,” she reassured him. “You gave me quite the scare.”
“S-sorry,” he stuttered. He blinked his eyes several times trying not to give in to the call to go back to sleep. “You stayed.”
“Of course I did,” she said with a bright smile. “I wasn’t going to leave my baby boy all by himself. Are you in any pain?” she asked in concern.
Ezra lay blinking for a few seconds as he tried to process her question and what the answer should be. “Uh uh,” he finally said. “What about,” he waved his free hand as he tried to remember Robert’s name. “Him.”
“Robert?” Maude filled in for him. “It seems he wasn’t quite the man I thought he was.” She shrugged then airily said, “There are other fish in the sea. Now, how are you?”
“Tired,” Ezra answered as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
“I just bet you are, Bean.”
Ezra looked quizzically at the name. “Haven’t called me that in a long time,” he said after a moment. “Not since before…” He trailed off without saying what the before was.
“Not since Daddy passed,” she filled in. She smiled at him sadly and thought about what Josiah had said earlier. “There’s a lot that hasn’t been said for far too long.” She brushed the hair off his forehead and leaned forward kissing him there. She locked her gaze with his. “I love you Ezra Phillip Standish. I have always loved you and I always will. I don’t want you to ever doubt that. You’re my baby boy and I could never stop loving you for any reason.”
There was no way Ezra could suppress the surprised look at his mother’s words. Even if he were at his best, he didn’t think he would have been able. He squeezed her hand as tight as he could. “Love you too, Mama.”
Maude sighed and again brushed the hair off his forehead. “My sweet boy. You haven’t called me that since you were just a little bean.” Again, his eyes fluttered as he fought sleep. “Don’t fight it, darlin’. You need to rest to get better. I promise I’ll be here tomorrow and the day after and when it’s time for you to go home, I’ll be there to take care of you.”
Hearing a throat clear softly, they both turned toward the door to see the nurse in the doorway. “I’m sorry to disturb you,” she said and held up a bag of IV antibiotics. “I just need to change this.”
“That’s quite all right,” Maude said as she got up from the bed and snapped the safety rail in place. “I was just going to leave so Ezra can get some rest.” She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, darlin’. You get some rest.” She whispered in his ear so only he could hear, “Love you,” the left the room before he could say anything.
“I couldn’t help but overhear what your mother said when I came in,” the nurse said.
Ezra waved off the implied apology. “She’s an amazing woman,” he said as he looked to the door where his mother had gone. For a change, he was looking forward to her visit tomorrow. Usually, the prospect of a visit from his mother brought dread but this time…this time it seemed they were starting anew. He closed his eyes giving into sleep. His mama loved him and of that, there was no doubt.